The odds were against it happening. I was in my hotel room after dinner, slightly undressed (I know, ew), laying in bed, with Rachel Maddow coming on TV in minutes. There was maybe a 2% chance that I would get dressed and go by myself to see indie rockers Mt. Joy in concert. I know, you will not believe it if I tell you I beat the odds, but I did. I have proof.
It helped knowing I could listen to Rachel in the car on my way there. Somehow I scored a wristband for alcohol without showing my ID. She told me I have an honest face and looked old enough. I think she meant that honestly, I have an old face.
I immediately put the wristband to good use. As I wandered into Delmar Hall with my beverage, I became very hopeful that perhaps a contest would be run to find the person who had traveled the farthest to see the show, or was the oldest person at the show. I had a good chance to win both.
I did score a major victory as I wrangled one of the limited number of bar stools available for seating. I have proof. Take a look at my stool. Sorry. I regret typing that.
I’m simply too old to stand for a whole show, although I may have been able to make it through Mt. Joy’s set. It was a good set, with their 2 songs that have gotten a lot of airplay, Jenny Jenkins and Silver Lining, somewhat bookending their set. With just one album from 2018 under their belts, they don’t have a long set list, even with a couple covers sprinkled in.
The song I enjoyed the most was one I had not heard before. It features a familiar melody and fun lyrics, daring the listener to try and not sing along. I encourage you to also enjoy Astrovan.
I chose the live version to give you a taste of the Mt. Joy concert vibe. It’s a even better song live when you have a peppier crowd like we had at the show last night. The crowd in the video looks like a mannequin convention.
The problem I have with indie rock is that many songs sound like variations on Dave Matthews Band songs. Not a bad thing, but not distinctive. There were a couple of Mt. Joy songs that exuded blahness, but I think they have long-term potential to craft a distinctive, enjoyable, listenable sound. Last night, the band was literally Mt. Joy, and figuratively a mountain of joy. I’m glad I beat the odds and saw them.
Jim Flanigan Looks at the World 